{{Youmay|the end of life|the [[Beedle the Bard]] [[Death (The Tale of the Three Brothers)|character]]}}

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{{Youmay|the end of life|[[Death (being)|the supposed being]] best known from [[Beedle the Bard]]'s''[[The Tale of the Three Brothers]]''}}

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{{cleanup}}

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[[File:Dead_cedric.gif|frame|[[Harry Potter]] mourns over the dead body of [[Cedric Diggory]]]]

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{{Dialogue a-b|Voldemort|There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!|Albus Dumbledore|You are quite wrong.|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] and [[Albus Dumbledore]] discussing death.|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}

{{Dialogue a-b|Voldemort|There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!|Albus Dumbledore|You are quite wrong.|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] and [[Albus Dumbledore]] discussing death.|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}

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[[File:Cedricdead.jpg|thumb|260px|[[Harry Potter]] mourns over the dead body of [[Cedric Diggory]]]]

'''Death''' is the end of a living organism's life, technically defined in humans as either the permanent termination of heart function and respiration, or of brain activity.<ref>"{{wplink|Death}}" on Wikipedia</ref>

'''Death''' is the end of a living organism's life, technically defined in humans as either the permanent termination of heart function and respiration, or of brain activity.<ref>"{{wplink|Death}}" on Wikipedia</ref>

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== Nature ==

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Death, defined in magical terms, is the end of a body's life due to illness, or injury, and the departure of the soul that occupied it.

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Death in the magical world has some substantial differences with death in the non-magical world. Some magical creatures have unusual relationships with death, namely the [[Phoenix]] and the [[Thestral]]. The power of death and related concepts are deeply foundational issues within [[Magic]], and some of the most important unchanneled magic witches and wizards can perform rely on death as an organizing principle. It is obviously a major factor in [[Dark Magic]], but, somewhat surprisingly, its importance is just as evident in the unwritten laws of Magic as a force for good.

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Death is as permanent and irreversible in the magical world as outside of it, though the wall separating death and life is in general much more porous due to the effects of magic: [[ghosts]] can be left by living things as a permanent imprint of themselves after death, portraits of dead witches and wizards maintain their personalities and some of their memories, powerful magic like that of [[Priori Incantatem]], [[Horcruxes]], and the [[Resurrection Stone]] can recall substantial [[memories]] of the dead temporarily into the midst of the living, there is an archway on a dais in the [[Department of Mysteries]] that forms a physical portal between life and death, and it is possible in the rarest of cases for wizards to visit the borderlands between death and life, in a state called [[Limbo]], and return to the world of the living.

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==Non-human magical creatures==

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All living things with magical powers, as do those without them, die, and all except the [[Phoenix]] are, as individuals, permanently dead thereafter. The Phoenix dies in a burst of flame, due to old age or if subjected to lethal force, and is reborn in a pile of its own ashes moments later (and thus is a contiguous individual organism, and in a sense, immortal). The Phoenix is a powerful symbol of the cycle of life and death and the sense in which an individual can live on, and as such is used as the namesake of the [[Order of the Phoenix]], an organization diametrically opposed to the [[Death Eaters]]' view of the matter. This profound power may also be the reason its tail feathers are used as [[Wand Core|wand cores]].

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[[File:Dementor.jpg|thumb|left|215px|[[Dementor]]]]

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Three other magical creatures that have interesting relationships with death are the [[Thestral]]<ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2003/0626-alberthall-fry.htm 2003 interview at Royal Albert Hall] on Accio! Quote</ref><ref>[http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=21 F.A.Q. question] on JKRowling.com</ref><ref>[http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/news_view.cfm?id=80 2004 Edinburgh Book Festival] on JKRowling.com</ref><ref>''Order of the Phoenix'', Ch. 21</ref>, [[Basilisk]], [[Mandrake]], and [[Dementor]]. Thestrals, scaly, winged ungulates, are invisible to all witches and wizards (and perhaps other living creatures too) unless they have witnessed death. The Basilisk, a giant serpent, kills any living thing with whom it makes direct eye contact. Mandrakes, on the other hand, kill any who hear their cries. Dementors cannot be killed by lethal forces, and as far as the books describe, can only be killed by starvation from their food source, which is human emotions. They also cause an aberrancy of death: the removal of a [[soul]] from its body before bodily death. The soulless body can remain, in no sense alive except for the continuance of its vital functions, until it dies some time later. The soul is said to be immortal, so it is unknown if the Dementor's act of 'sucking' the soul out of the body damages it in any way, or simply pulls it through to 'beyond' earlier than expected.

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==Non-living sentient beings==

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===[[Ghosts]]===

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{{Quote|A ghost, as I trust that you are all aware by now, is the imprint of a departed [[soul]] left upon the earth... and of course, as [[Harry Potter|Potter]] so wisely tells us, ''transparent''.|[[Professor|Prof.]] [[Severus Snape]].|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}

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[[File:Ghosts.gif|frame|Ghosts ]]

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Ghosts can be left behind, apparently on purpose or accidentally, as imprints of the departed body of a dead witch or wizard, which seem to be occupied by the individual's soul, left behind in the living world. The ghost exhibits the personality, emotions, and purposeful action of a being with a soul, and can be seen, can speak, can be wafted on breezes of air, and can manipulate fluids.

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They can participate in the events of the living by serving as messengers or creating distractions, but cannot affect the physical world in many other ways. It also seems they are confined by some power to a limited selection of places- the Hogwarts ghosts cannot leave the castle, and [[Moaning Myrtle]] describes being forced to return to it when she attempted to follow [[Olive Hornby]]. The exact mechanism by which a witch or wizard becomes a ghost is unclear, but the two causes described are fearfulness or aversion to passing on, and determination to haunt someone left alive. Some ghosts profess to regret their status, as 'beyond' seems like it would be a more natural and comfortable place for their soul to inhabit. Becoming a ghost is something of an aberration of the normal process of death, in which a body dies, a soul leaves it, and moves 'on'.

Poltergeists are not alive and thus cannot be killed, are selectively permeable to matter and thus can choose to pass through solids or apply force to them at will, and can apparently think, feel, and plan. The one thing it appears they cannot do is leave their place of habitation, from which they were created magically out of the emotions felt within; [[Peeves]] uses these powers purely for indiscriminate mayhem.

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===Substantial [[Memories]]===

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Witches and wizards use the word 'memory' to refer to the same concept as [[Muggles]]: a picture or impression formed in the past and held at present in the mind. However, 'memory' also appears to describe beings that appear neither ghost nor - the teenage Tom Riddle that emerges from his diary horcrux, the victims of Voldemort's wand that appear during [[Priori Incantatem]], and the protective group of Harry's loved ones summoned using the [[Resurrection Stone]]. They are described as "less substantial than a living body but much more than any ghost..." In all cases they depict dead people, and have the power to impact the physical world: the Riddle memory raises Harry's wand and controls the Basilisk, the memories created with ''Priori Incantatem'' supply Harry with a plan of action to escape the graveyard and provide cover while he escapes, and the memories from the Resurrection Stone rustle twigs and leaves around Harry's feet. On the other hand, however, these shadows are tangible only to those who recall them.

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===[[Inferi]]===

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[[File:Inferi_(Concept_Artwork).jpg|thumb|235px|Inferi]]

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Inferi are corpses reanimated by Dark Magic that are capable of doing the bidding of their animator in some limited ways. Inferi are animate but not alive or sentient, just puppets of flesh for the wizard to use. They are said to prefer cool, dark, peaceful places, respond violently to any disturbance, and recoil before any source of heat and light (especially fire). <ref name="hbp21" /><ref name="hbp4">''Half-Blood Prince'', Ch. 4</ref>

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===Wizarding portraits and photos===

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Though often not classified as beings due to their limited scope of motion, encompassing only their own, neighbouring, and alternative portraits (wherever they may be), people depicted in Wizarding photos and portraits very much toe the line between normal life and death. Though photos appear to be only very brief snapshots of a person's soul, portraying them thinking, feeling, and doing whatever they were at the time the photo was taken, portraits seem to capture quite a bit more of the soul of the person in question.

Portrait people can do a variety of actions within their painted world, perhaps cycling between many aspects of their personality or habits, as is said to be an aspiration of Muggle fine portrait artists. They can also participate in the world of the living. They can serve as messengers or intermediaries. The [[Fat Lady]] sentiently guards the door of the [[Gryffindor Common Room|Gryffindor common room]], requiring a password to swing open and allow access, and though her (and her temporary substitute, [[Sir Cadogan]]'s) ability to recognize and interact with individuals is dubious, the Fat Lady proves perfectly capable of explaining, in detail, an assault upon her by [[Sirius Black]]. The former Hogwarts headmaster and headmistress portraits in the [[Headmaster's Office|Head's office]] usually slumber (though often this is a ruse as they pay careful attention to goings-on in the office), but describe themselves as 'duty bound to assist and counsel the current head whenever called upon'. The portrait of Dumbledore continues to interact with Headmaster [[Snape]] in the same way and for the same purposes as the living [[Dumbledore]], and seems to be a vital organizer of their continued implementation. This is a remarkable degree of power to relegate to the realm of 'inanimate objects'.

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==Humans==

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===Muggles===

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Muggles can and do die as a result of magic, usually used deliberately by witches and wizards. All things considered, in their world, there is a much more clearly demarcated and impenetrable line between living and death (or 'beyond'), than in the magical world.

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===Witches and Wizards===

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Due to the cruciality of death in the forces of magic, it plays a very major role in the lives of witches and wizards, personally, socially, and morally. Due to the protection provided by their innate and deliberately used magic, it appears wizards are rarely or never killed by mundane or non-magical forces, whether non-magical diseases and disorders or accidental collisions, drownings, falls, etc. Indeed, many witches and wizards of extremely advanced age (at least by Muggle standards) are mentioned: [[Albus Dumbledore]], [[Nicolas Flamel]], and [[Auntie Muriel]]. But the magical world is nevertheless very dangerous and deadly, and if the story of the Second Wizarding War is any indiciation, witches and wizards are more likely by far to suffer violent deaths than Muggles.

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== Causes of death ==

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There are no accounts of non-magical forces bringing about the deaths of witches and wizards. Heart attacks, strokes, and cancer are unheard of. Lethal run-ins with water, deoxygenated air, crushing forces and the like also seem not to happen without magical forces being involved. Most likely this has more to do with the innate rather than deliberately used powers of magical humans (for example, children without wands often do magic to protect themselves, like [[Lily Evans]] landing gently after launching off a swing, [[Harry Potter]] flying to the roof to avoid pursuers, and [[Neville Longbottom]] bouncing when thrown out a window), as such protective magic probably prevents mundane accidents and self-repairs diseases and damage. Deliberately performed magic, like that of [[Healer]]s and [[Aurors]], also probably can stave off such deaths.

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As far as natural deaths go, it seems it is possible for aged witches and wizards to die of old age, and they certainly become more vulnerable to common magical ailments like [[dragon pox]].

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=== Accidents ===

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Magical accidents are described as having killed two people, [[Kendra Dumbledore]], killed by the uncontrolled magic of her disabled daughter, [[Ariana]], and [[Luna Lovegood's mother]], killed by an accident with an experimental charm. Other magical accidents, such as the explosion of an [[Erumpent horn|Erumpent Horn]], [[Quidditch]] accidents, and misused magic, are also clearly capable of causing death, and Quidditch accidents in particular are described as having done so.

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=== Combat and law enforcement deaths ===

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Deaths caused by Aurors using lethal force against a suspect threatening to kill someone or fleeing after doing so, or battlefield deaths in situations like, for example, the [[Second Wizarding War]], would be misclassified if called murders. Though deliberately using lethal force is banned in sporting-level [[duel]]s, it is understood by all participants that death may result, and that it would be neither an accident nor murder.

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There are fascinating moral dimensions to the use of lethal force in wizarding. During the Second War, the forces of the resistance to Voldemort, in particular the Order of the Phoenix, sustained very heavy casualties, while relatively few Death Eaters died. This is partly because they faced death so much more willingly and fearlessly than their adversaries, and partly because they refused to use some of the greatest powers available to them (Dark Magic, in short), despite the penalty in effectiveness, simply because to do so would be evil. While their deaths were tragic, in a sense they were also acts of nobility and love.

Manslaughter is the use of what turns out to be lethal force against another individual, without a specific intent or plan to kill them, but in full awareness that it was a possible outcome. Witches and wizards can be killed by magic besides the [[Killing Curse|Avada Kedavra]] curse, such as the curse used by [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] to force [[Sirius Black]] through the veil in the [[Death Chamber]] and to his death, and the death of Bellatrix herself when [[Molly Weasley]] used the same spell against her.

Murder is the act to intentionally induce death in another individual. The main magical instruments of murder are the [[Avada Kedavra]] curse, the placing of fatal curses upon objects, and [[Poison|poisons]]. The Avada Kedavra is designed for bringing about death (which in most cases would be classified as murder), and clearly has no other possible purpose. It is therefore illegal, though the [[British Ministry of Magic]] legalised its use by its own [[Aurors]] during the [[First Wizarding War]], in the hope that delimiting them would make them more effective against [[Death Eaters]], and is an eminent example of a slippery slope.

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In a similar sense to new-minted Muggle soldiers and criminal gang members finding it hard to kill on purpose, it is said to be very difficult for a relatively 'innocent' witch or wizard to use this curse. [[Barty Crouch, Jr|Professor Moody]] confidently predicted that if every single student in his [[Defense Against the Dark Arts]] class pointed their wand at him and said the incantation, he wouldn't get 'so much as a nosebleed', as the curse requires not only powerful magic and concentration but an utter disregard for the sanctity of life to be used effectively.

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The other two means of attempting murder, cursed objects and poisons, are both much less likely to succeed, more haphazard, and in that sense betray a greater hesitancy to kill. [[Draco Malfoy]] tries both when tasked by [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] to assassinate [[Albus Dumbledore|Dumbledore]], but the Headmaster correctly read into them a moral aversion, a partially suppressed qualm obstructing the homicidal gesture. Harry also experienced this when he gave up his chance to kill [[Sirius Black]], who at the time he thought to have brought about the death of his parents and assaulted his friend [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]].

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The act of ending a person's life is considered to be an act of supreme evil, such a level that the murderer's [[soul]] would be torn apart; this is a consequence that violates the very law of nature, in addition to being against the law. It seems that one's motives of ending another's life can influence whether the soul would be torn apart or not, as [[Severus Snape]]'s soul remained intact when he gave [[Albus Dumbledore]] a mercy killing.

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It is not coincidental, then, that murder is the act required of a wizard or witch to create [[Horcrux]]es. Callousness in taking the life of others in order to make one's own life harder to take is the very essence of a mutilated soul.

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=== Staking one's life ===

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Magic's power can be greatly increased when one stakes one's own life. The [[Unbreakable Vow]] is a Dark covenant that, if violated, results in the death of the violator. While this is a sinister way of maintaining trust, it is certainly effective. In the opposite direction, the power of [[Love]] can be amplified by the decision to deliberately sacrifice one's life in an attempt to save another. Such a sacrifice, willingly made, can create a lasting protection powerful enough to deflect even the otherwise unblockable Avada Kedavra curse, and which lingers in the blood of those protected indefinitely, rendering them untouchable by and uninhabitable for powers maimed and disfigured by inhumanity.

==Afterlife==

==Afterlife==

{{Quote|After all, to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure.|[[Albus Dumbledore]] comments on the afterlife|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone}}

{{Quote|After all, to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure.|[[Albus Dumbledore]] comments on the afterlife|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone}}

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While Deathisunderstoodinapurelyphysicalsense, the nature of what lies beyond it is a mystery to [[Wizardkind|wizards and witches]] and [[Muggle]]s alike. When a [[Wizardkind|wizard or witch]] dies, unlike a [[Muggle]], he or she can choose to leave behind an imprint of their [[soul]] in the mortal world in the form of a [[ghost]].<ref name="otp38">''Order of the Phoenix'', Ch. 38</ref><ref name="hbp21">''Half-Blood Prince'', Ch. 21</ref> Few opt to become ghosts, however, as it means they will never "go on" like most people do.<ref name="otp38" /> Those who cross over to the other side cannot come back in any form resembling the physical body they had in life.<ref name="veil">"[http://harryahistory.com/2008/09/more-about-that-veil.html More About that Veil]" from HarryAHistory.com</ref> The exception being the beings brought back using the [[Resurrection Stone]]. However, it is described that they do not belong in the mortal world, being only a semi-corporeal form, "less substantial" than a living body but "much more" than a ghost.<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''</ref>

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While thepurelyphysicalaspectofdeathisfully understood, the nature of what lies beyond it is a mystery to [[Wizardkind|wizards, witches]], and [[Muggle]]s alike beyond the fact that there is indeed some sort of afterlife. When a [[Wizardkind|wizard or witch]] dies, unlike a [[Muggle]], he or she can choose to leave behind an imprint of their [[soul]] in the mortal world in the form of a [[ghost]].<ref name="otp38">''Order of the Phoenix'', Ch. 38</ref><ref name="hbp21">''Half-Blood Prince'', Ch. 21</ref> Few opt to become ghosts, however, as it means they will never "go on" like most people do.<ref name="otp38" />

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[[Limbo]] is an afterlife-related plane that exists in-between the physical world and the true afterlife; its contents are apparently subjective. Living people and the dead rarely spend time there. When Harry visits limbo, he is able to summon Albus Dumbledore to counsel and console him. But when Voldemort, his soul maimed and mutilated by "tampering so inadvisably" with such evil as Horcruxes and the Avada Kedavra curse

==Immortality and Resurrection==

==Immortality and Resurrection==

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[[File:Resurrection_Stone.jpg|thumb|264px|TheResurrectionStonehas the powertobringback"shades"oflovedones]]

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{{Quote|Nospellcanreawaken the dead.|AlbusDumbledore|HarryPotterandtheGobletofFire}}

There is no known way to magically reunite a person's soul with their body once they have died.<ref name="beedle79">''The Tales of Beedle the Bard'', page 79</ref> Many young witches and wizards discovered this through the story of [[Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump|Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump]] (in which the protagonist [[Babbitty]] is blackmailed by [[Charlatan (Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump)|a charlatan]] to perform magic for [[King (Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump)|a king]], but doesn't bother raising her wand when the king attempts to raise [[Sabre|a dog]] from the dead.) During the six centuries have elapsed since [[Beedle the Bard|Beedle]] wrote the tale, innumberable ways have been devised to maintain the illusion of the continuing presence of one's loved ones. For example, wizarding photographs and portraits move and (in the case of the latter) talk just like their subjects.

There is no known way to magically reunite a person's soul with their body once they have died.<ref name="beedle79">''The Tales of Beedle the Bard'', page 79</ref> Many young witches and wizards discovered this through the story of [[Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump|Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump]] (in which the protagonist [[Babbitty]] is blackmailed by [[Charlatan (Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump)|a charlatan]] to perform magic for [[King (Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump)|a king]], but doesn't bother raising her wand when the king attempts to raise [[Sabre|a dog]] from the dead.) During the six centuries have elapsed since [[Beedle the Bard|Beedle]] wrote the tale, innumberable ways have been devised to maintain the illusion of the continuing presence of one's loved ones. For example, wizarding photographs and portraits move and (in the case of the latter) talk just like their subjects.

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Similarly, the [[Mirror of Erised]] may also reveal more than a static image of a lost loved one. [[Ghost]]s are transparent, moving, talking, and thinking versions of wizards and witches who decided, for whatever reason, to remain on earth. The closest to resurrecting the dead would be the [[Resurrection Stone]], which can recall someone who has died from the beyond,buttheywill return only in a semi-corporeal form, "less substantial" thanaliving body but "much more" than a ghost.<ref>''Deathly Hallows'', Ch. 34</ref>

{{Quote|Giveitup.It'snevergoingtohappen.|[[BertranddePensées-Profondes]]in [[AStudyintothePossibility of Reversing the Actual and MetaphysicalEffectsofNaturalDeath, withParticularRegard to the ReintegrationofEssenceandMatter]]|TheTalesofBeedle the Bard(real)}}

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Similarly,the[[MirrorofErised]]mayalsorevealmorethana static image of a lost loved one. [[Ghost]]saretranslucent,sentientimages of wizards and witcheswhodecided,forwhatever reason, toremainon earth. The closest to resurrecting the deadwouldbethe [[ResurrectionStone]],whichcanrecall someone who has died from the beyond, but they will return only in a semi-corporeal form, "less substantial" than a living body but "much more" than a ghost.<ref>''Deathly Hallows'', Ch.34</ref>

Despite this, wizards have still not found a way of reuniting body and soul once death has occurred. This subject was covered by eminent Wizarding philosopher [[Bertrand de Pensées-Profondes]] in his celebrated work [[A Study into the Possibility of Reversing the Actual and Metaphysical Effects of Natural Death, with Particular Regard to the Reintergration of Essence and Matter|A Study into the Possibility of Reversing the Actual and Metaphysical Effects of Natural Death, with Particular Regard to the Reintegration of Essence and Matter]], during which he stated that reversing death would never be physically possible. [[Phoenix]]es are the sole exception to the rules of death, as they can be reborn from their ashes without any restraints or assistance.

Despite this, wizards have still not found a way of reuniting body and soul once death has occurred. This subject was covered by eminent Wizarding philosopher [[Bertrand de Pensées-Profondes]] in his celebrated work [[A Study into the Possibility of Reversing the Actual and Metaphysical Effects of Natural Death, with Particular Regard to the Reintergration of Essence and Matter|A Study into the Possibility of Reversing the Actual and Metaphysical Effects of Natural Death, with Particular Regard to the Reintegration of Essence and Matter]], during which he stated that reversing death would never be physically possible. [[Phoenix]]es are the sole exception to the rules of death, as they can be reborn from their ashes without any restraints or assistance.

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However, while there exists no known method of reversing death once it has occurred, there are certain things a witch or wizard can do to postpone their death or prolong their life (even further than the longevity which would seem to be granted by magical ability e.g. Albus Dumbledore's health despite his advanced age).

However, while there exists no known method of reversing death once it has occurred, there are certain things a witch or wizard can do to postpone their death or prolong their life (even further than the longevity which would seem to be granted by magical ability e.g. Albus Dumbledore's health despite his advanced age).

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The [[Elixir of Life]], which is made from the [[Philosopher's Stone]], will grant a person extended life for as long as they continue to consume it.<ref>''Philosopher's Stone'', Ch. 13</ref><ref name="ps17">''Philosopher's Stone'', Ch. 17</ref> However, because the only known Philosopher's Stone was destroyed in [[1992]], this method is nolonger available.<ref name="ps17" />[[Unicorn blood]] can keep alive a person who is near death, but [[unicorn]]s are such pure, defenceless creatures that a person who kills one and drinks its blood will have "but a half-life."<ref>''Philosopher's Stone'', Ch. 15</ref> A wizard or witch who rips their soul through an act of murder can place that torn fragment inside of an external object called a [[Horcrux]].<ref name="hbp23">''Half-Blood Prince'', Ch. 23</ref>

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The [[Elixir of Life]], which is made from the [[Philosopher's Stone]], will grant a person extended life for as long as they continue to consume it.<ref>''Philosopher's Stone'', Ch. 13</ref><ref name="ps17">''Philosopher's Stone'', Ch. 17</ref> However, because the only known Philosopher's Stone in existence at the time was destroyed in [[1992]], this method is notcurrently available.<ref name="ps17" />[[Unicorn blood]] can keep alive a person who is near death, but [[unicorn]]s are such pure, defenceless creatures that a person who kills one and drinks its blood will have "but a half-life."<ref>''Philosopher's Stone'', Ch. 15</ref> A wizard or witch who rips their soul through an act of murder can place that torn fragment inside of an external object called a [[Horcrux]].<ref name="hbp23">''Half-Blood Prince'', Ch. 23</ref>

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By binding a part of their soul to the earth, the Horcrux prevents the wizard or witch from dying, even if their body is injured or completely destroyed.<ref name="hbp23" /> However, there is a cost to using Horcruxes — as shown in the deterioration of Lord Voldemort's physical condition after repeatedly splitting his soul, as well as the mangled spectral state he has been trapped in during the destruction of his physical body. There is a [[Regeneration Potion|potion]] which enables the Horcrux-creator's body to be reconstructed in the latter scenario. Overall, however, many wizards and witches would prefer death over such a pitiful state of existence. It seems if this potion is used, and the wizard is returned to a ressurected body, they seem to be unable to die until all of the Horcruxes are destroyed, as shown with Lord Voldemort during the final battle of Hogwarts, as only when all of his Horcruxes were destroyed didhisKillingCurserebound.

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By binding a part of their soul to the earth, the Horcrux prevents the wizard or witch from dying, even if their body is injured or completely destroyed.<ref name="hbp23" /> However, there is a cost to using Horcruxes — as shown in the deterioration of Lord Voldemort's physical condition after repeatedly splitting his soul, as well as the mangled spectral state he has been trapped in during the destruction of his physical body. There is a [[Regeneration Potion|potion]] which enables the Horcrux-creator's body to be reconstructed in the latter scenario. Overall, however, many wizards and witches would prefer death over such a pitiful state of existence. It seems if this potion is used, and the wizard is returned to a resurrected body, they seem to be unable to die until all of the Horcruxes are destroyed, as shown with Lord Voldemort during the final battle of Hogwarts, as only when all of his Horcruxes were destroyed washe killed. The creation of Horcruxes damages the soul that if the user dies after all their anchors are destroyed, then the soul would remain trapped in [[limbo]] in a terrible state, never to return as a ghostnormoveon.

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Corpses can also be reanimated through [[Dark Arts|Dark magic]].<ref name="hbp4">''Half-Blood Prince'', Ch. 4</ref><ref name="hbp21">''Half-Blood Prince'', Ch. 21</ref> Known as [[Inferius|Inferi]], these creatures are not alive, and simply do whatever the wizard who controls them wants, like puppets.<ref name="hbp4" /><ref name="hbp21" />

{{Quote|Donotpity the dead,Harry.Pity the living,andabove all, those who live without love.|Albus Dumbledore.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}

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[[File:Death_Chamber_1.jpg|thumb|left|240px|The [[Veil]] in the [[Death Chamber]] of the [[Department of Mysteries]]]]

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There is a [[Death Chamber|chamber]] in the [[Department of Mysteries]] where witches and wizards study the mysteries of death.<ref name="otp38" /> In this chamber is the [[Veil]], an ancient stone archway, which is a gateway between the world of the living and the world of the dead.<ref name="veil" /> People standing around the Veil may hear voices from the other side depending on their level of faith in an afterlife.<ref name="veil" /><ref>''Order of the Phoenix'', Ch. 34</ref> A person whose body passes through the Veil will die.<ref name="veil" /><ref>''Order of the Phoenix'', Ch. 35</ref>

There is a [[Death Chamber|chamber]] in the [[Department of Mysteries]] where witches and wizards study the mysteries of death.<ref name="otp38" /> In this chamber is the [[Veil]], an ancient stone archway, which is a gateway between the world of the living and the world of the dead.<ref name="veil" /> People standing around the Veil may hear voices from the other side depending on their level of faith in an afterlife.<ref name="veil" /><ref>''Order of the Phoenix'', Ch. 34</ref> A person whose body passes through the Veil will die.<ref name="veil" /><ref>''Order of the Phoenix'', Ch. 35</ref>

Wizarding philosopher [[Bertrand de Pensées-Profondes]] also researched death. He wrote a highly-regarded work on the subject, ''[[A Study into the Possibility of Reversing the Actual and Metaphysical Effects of Natural Death, with Particular Regard to the Reintegration of Essence and Matter]]''.<ref name="beedle79" />

Wizarding philosopher [[Bertrand de Pensées-Profondes]] also researched death. He wrote a highly-regarded work on the subject, ''[[A Study into the Possibility of Reversing the Actual and Metaphysical Effects of Natural Death, with Particular Regard to the Reintegration of Essence and Matter]]''.<ref name="beedle79" />

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Although many fear death due to the [[unknown]] that lies beyond life, few would ever choose to manipulate and damage their own souls to remain behind in a pitiful existence. [[Horcrux]]es and remaining as [[ghosts]] are two known methods of immortalizing one's existence in the plane of living, but the former has dire consequences that few would ever want it, while the latter means entrapment for eternity that only those who fear or have deep bonds would choose it.

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Although many fear death due to the [[unknown]] that lies beyond life, few would ever choose to manipulate and damage their own souls to remain behind in a pitiful existence. [[Horcrux]]es and remaining as [[ghosts]] are two known methods of immortalizing one's existence in the plane of living, but the former has dire consequences that few would ever want it, while the latter means entrapment for eternity that only those who fear or have deep bonds would choose it. Lord Voldemort considered death to be the ultimate humiliation of defeat, that nothing is worse than it, and was his greatest fear as a result; his fear of death and lack of understanding of the soul's well-being's importance led him to the extreme lengths of creating seven Horcruxes to evade death. Albus Dumbledore saw Voldemort's fear of death as his greatest weakness, as there are fates worse than death, and that anyone who can truly understand that and accept the inevitability of death can be considered to be a "[[Master of Death]]".

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==Behind the Scenes==

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At least one person dies in five out of seven of the Harry Potter books, and the death of a person or people in the past is an important plot element in all seven.

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[[Thestral]]saremagicalcreaturesvisibleonlytopeoplewhohavewitnessed a deathfirsthand.<ref>''Order of the Phoenix'',Ch. 21</ref>However, theability to seethestralsdoesnotcomeimmediately,butonlyafteronehashadtimetofullyunderstanddeathanditsfinality.<ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2003/0626-alberthall-fry.htm2003interviewatRoyalAlbertHall] onAccio!Quote</ref><ref>[http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/news_view.cfm?id=802004EdinburghBookFestival] onJKRowling.com</ref><ref>[http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=21F.A.Q. question]onJKRowling.com</ref>

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Duringeachofthelastfourbooks,thebodycountincreases each time, with over a hundrednamed characters dying during the timeline of the booksby the end. Ofall these deaths, exactlyzero were natural. It is hard to actuallythinkofonethatisn'tviolentinsomeway.Thedeathsofelevencharacters,[[QuirinusQuirrell]],[[FrankBryce]], [[CedricDiggory]],[[SiriusBlack]],[[AlbusDumbledore]],[[Charity Burbage]],[[PeterPettigrew]], [[Dobby]], [[FredWeasley]],[[SeverusSnape]], [[BellatrixLestrange]],and [[Tom Riddle]], are described in detail as theyhappen. Over twice as many are described in detail aftertheyhappened.

Contents

Death, defined in magical terms, is the end of a body's life due to illness, or injury, and the departure of the soul that occupied it.

Death in the magical world has some substantial differences with death in the non-magical world. Some magical creatures have unusual relationships with death, namely the Phoenix and the Thestral. The power of death and related concepts are deeply foundational issues within Magic, and some of the most important unchanneled magic witches and wizards can perform rely on death as an organizing principle. It is obviously a major factor in Dark Magic, but, somewhat surprisingly, its importance is just as evident in the unwritten laws of Magic as a force for good.

Death is as permanent and irreversible in the magical world as outside of it, though the wall separating death and life is in general much more porous due to the effects of magic: ghosts can be left by living things as a permanent imprint of themselves after death, portraits of dead witches and wizards maintain their personalities and some of their memories, powerful magic like that of Priori Incantatem, Horcruxes, and the Resurrection Stone can recall substantial memories of the dead temporarily into the midst of the living, there is an archway on a dais in the Department of Mysteries that forms a physical portal between life and death, and it is possible in the rarest of cases for wizards to visit the borderlands between death and life, in a state called Limbo, and return to the world of the living.

All living things with magical powers, as do those without them, die, and all except the Phoenix are, as individuals, permanently dead thereafter. The Phoenix dies in a burst of flame, due to old age or if subjected to lethal force, and is reborn in a pile of its own ashes moments later (and thus is a contiguous individual organism, and in a sense, immortal). The Phoenix is a powerful symbol of the cycle of life and death and the sense in which an individual can live on, and as such is used as the namesake of the Order of the Phoenix, an organization diametrically opposed to the Death Eaters' view of the matter. This profound power may also be the reason its tail feathers are used as wand cores.

Three other magical creatures that have interesting relationships with death are the Thestral[2][3][4][5], Basilisk, Mandrake, and Dementor. Thestrals, scaly, winged ungulates, are invisible to all witches and wizards (and perhaps other living creatures too) unless they have witnessed death. The Basilisk, a giant serpent, kills any living thing with whom it makes direct eye contact. Mandrakes, on the other hand, kill any who hear their cries. Dementors cannot be killed by lethal forces, and as far as the books describe, can only be killed by starvation from their food source, which is human emotions. They also cause an aberrancy of death: the removal of a soul from its body before bodily death. The soulless body can remain, in no sense alive except for the continuance of its vital functions, until it dies some time later. The soul is said to be immortal, so it is unknown if the Dementor's act of 'sucking' the soul out of the body damages it in any way, or simply pulls it through to 'beyond' earlier than expected.

Ghosts can be left behind, apparently on purpose or accidentally, as imprints of the departed body of a dead witch or wizard, which seem to be occupied by the individual's soul, left behind in the living world. The ghost exhibits the personality, emotions, and purposeful action of a being with a soul, and can be seen, can speak, can be wafted on breezes of air, and can manipulate fluids.

They can participate in the events of the living by serving as messengers or creating distractions, but cannot affect the physical world in many other ways. It also seems they are confined by some power to a limited selection of places- the Hogwarts ghosts cannot leave the castle, and Moaning Myrtle describes being forced to return to it when she attempted to follow Olive Hornby. The exact mechanism by which a witch or wizard becomes a ghost is unclear, but the two causes described are fearfulness or aversion to passing on, and determination to haunt someone left alive. Some ghosts profess to regret their status, as 'beyond' seems like it would be a more natural and comfortable place for their soul to inhabit. Becoming a ghost is something of an aberration of the normal process of death, in which a body dies, a soul leaves it, and moves 'on'.

Poltergeists are not alive and thus cannot be killed, are selectively permeable to matter and thus can choose to pass through solids or apply force to them at will, and can apparently think, feel, and plan. The one thing it appears they cannot do is leave their place of habitation, from which they were created magically out of the emotions felt within; Peeves uses these powers purely for indiscriminate mayhem.

Witches and wizards use the word 'memory' to refer to the same concept as Muggles: a picture or impression formed in the past and held at present in the mind. However, 'memory' also appears to describe beings that appear neither ghost nor - the teenage Tom Riddle that emerges from his diary horcrux, the victims of Voldemort's wand that appear during Priori Incantatem, and the protective group of Harry's loved ones summoned using the Resurrection Stone. They are described as "less substantial than a living body but much more than any ghost..." In all cases they depict dead people, and have the power to impact the physical world: the Riddle memory raises Harry's wand and controls the Basilisk, the memories created with Priori Incantatem supply Harry with a plan of action to escape the graveyard and provide cover while he escapes, and the memories from the Resurrection Stone rustle twigs and leaves around Harry's feet. On the other hand, however, these shadows are tangible only to those who recall them.

Inferi are corpses reanimated by Dark Magic that are capable of doing the bidding of their animator in some limited ways. Inferi are animate but not alive or sentient, just puppets of flesh for the wizard to use. They are said to prefer cool, dark, peaceful places, respond violently to any disturbance, and recoil before any source of heat and light (especially fire). [6][7]

Though often not classified as beings due to their limited scope of motion, encompassing only their own, neighbouring, and alternative portraits (wherever they may be), people depicted in Wizarding photos and portraits very much toe the line between normal life and death. Though photos appear to be only very brief snapshots of a person's soul, portraying them thinking, feeling, and doing whatever they were at the time the photo was taken, portraits seem to capture quite a bit more of the soul of the person in question.

seemingly alive portraits

Portrait people can do a variety of actions within their painted world, perhaps cycling between many aspects of their personality or habits, as is said to be an aspiration of Muggle fine portrait artists. They can also participate in the world of the living. They can serve as messengers or intermediaries. The Fat Lady sentiently guards the door of the Gryffindor common room, requiring a password to swing open and allow access, and though her (and her temporary substitute, Sir Cadogan's) ability to recognize and interact with individuals is dubious, the Fat Lady proves perfectly capable of explaining, in detail, an assault upon her by Sirius Black. The former Hogwarts headmaster and headmistress portraits in the Head's office usually slumber (though often this is a ruse as they pay careful attention to goings-on in the office), but describe themselves as 'duty bound to assist and counsel the current head whenever called upon'. The portrait of Dumbledore continues to interact with Headmaster Snape in the same way and for the same purposes as the living Dumbledore, and seems to be a vital organizer of their continued implementation. This is a remarkable degree of power to relegate to the realm of 'inanimate objects'.

Muggles can and do die as a result of magic, usually used deliberately by witches and wizards. All things considered, in their world, there is a much more clearly demarcated and impenetrable line between living and death (or 'beyond'), than in the magical world.

Due to the cruciality of death in the forces of magic, it plays a very major role in the lives of witches and wizards, personally, socially, and morally. Due to the protection provided by their innate and deliberately used magic, it appears wizards are rarely or never killed by mundane or non-magical forces, whether non-magical diseases and disorders or accidental collisions, drownings, falls, etc. Indeed, many witches and wizards of extremely advanced age (at least by Muggle standards) are mentioned: Albus Dumbledore, Nicolas Flamel, and Auntie Muriel. But the magical world is nevertheless very dangerous and deadly, and if the story of the Second Wizarding War is any indiciation, witches and wizards are more likely by far to suffer violent deaths than Muggles.

There are no accounts of non-magical forces bringing about the deaths of witches and wizards. Heart attacks, strokes, and cancer are unheard of. Lethal run-ins with water, deoxygenated air, crushing forces and the like also seem not to happen without magical forces being involved. Most likely this has more to do with the innate rather than deliberately used powers of magical humans (for example, children without wands often do magic to protect themselves, like Lily Evans landing gently after launching off a swing, Harry Potter flying to the roof to avoid pursuers, and Neville Longbottom bouncing when thrown out a window), as such protective magic probably prevents mundane accidents and self-repairs diseases and damage. Deliberately performed magic, like that of Healers and Aurors, also probably can stave off such deaths.

As far as natural deaths go, it seems it is possible for aged witches and wizards to die of old age, and they certainly become more vulnerable to common magical ailments like dragon pox.

Magical accidents are described as having killed two people, Kendra Dumbledore, killed by the uncontrolled magic of her disabled daughter, Ariana, and Luna Lovegood's mother, killed by an accident with an experimental charm. Other magical accidents, such as the explosion of an Erumpent Horn, Quidditch accidents, and misused magic, are also clearly capable of causing death, and Quidditch accidents in particular are described as having done so.

Deaths caused by Aurors using lethal force against a suspect threatening to kill someone or fleeing after doing so, or battlefield deaths in situations like, for example, the Second Wizarding War, would be misclassified if called murders. Though deliberately using lethal force is banned in sporting-level duels, it is understood by all participants that death may result, and that it would be neither an accident nor murder.

There are fascinating moral dimensions to the use of lethal force in wizarding. During the Second War, the forces of the resistance to Voldemort, in particular the Order of the Phoenix, sustained very heavy casualties, while relatively few Death Eaters died. This is partly because they faced death so much more willingly and fearlessly than their adversaries, and partly because they refused to use some of the greatest powers available to them (Dark Magic, in short), despite the penalty in effectiveness, simply because to do so would be evil. While their deaths were tragic, in a sense they were also acts of nobility and love.

Manslaughter is the use of what turns out to be lethal force against another individual, without a specific intent or plan to kill them, but in full awareness that it was a possible outcome. Witches and wizards can be killed by magic besides the Avada Kedavra curse, such as the curse used by Bellatrix Lestrange to force Sirius Black through the veil in the Death Chamber and to his death, and the death of Bellatrix herself when Molly Weasley used the same spell against her.

Murder is the act to intentionally induce death in another individual. The main magical instruments of murder are the Avada Kedavra curse, the placing of fatal curses upon objects, and poisons. The Avada Kedavra is designed for bringing about death (which in most cases would be classified as murder), and clearly has no other possible purpose. It is therefore illegal, though the British Ministry of Magic legalised its use by its own Aurors during the First Wizarding War, in the hope that delimiting them would make them more effective against Death Eaters, and is an eminent example of a slippery slope.

In a similar sense to new-minted Muggle soldiers and criminal gang members finding it hard to kill on purpose, it is said to be very difficult for a relatively 'innocent' witch or wizard to use this curse. Professor Moody confidently predicted that if every single student in his Defense Against the Dark Arts class pointed their wand at him and said the incantation, he wouldn't get 'so much as a nosebleed', as the curse requires not only powerful magic and concentration but an utter disregard for the sanctity of life to be used effectively.

The other two means of attempting murder, cursed objects and poisons, are both much less likely to succeed, more haphazard, and in that sense betray a greater hesitancy to kill. Draco Malfoy tries both when tasked by Voldemort to assassinate Dumbledore, but the Headmaster correctly read into them a moral aversion, a partially suppressed qualm obstructing the homicidal gesture. Harry also experienced this when he gave up his chance to kill Sirius Black, who at the time he thought to have brought about the death of his parents and assaulted his friend Ron.

The act of ending a person's life is considered to be an act of supreme evil, such a level that the murderer's soul would be torn apart; this is a consequence that violates the very law of nature, in addition to being against the law. It seems that one's motives of ending another's life can influence whether the soul would be torn apart or not, as Severus Snape's soul remained intact when he gave Albus Dumbledore a mercy killing.

It is not coincidental, then, that murder is the act required of a wizard or witch to create Horcruxes. Callousness in taking the life of others in order to make one's own life harder to take is the very essence of a mutilated soul.

Magic's power can be greatly increased when one stakes one's own life. The Unbreakable Vow is a Dark covenant that, if violated, results in the death of the violator. While this is a sinister way of maintaining trust, it is certainly effective. In the opposite direction, the power of Love can be amplified by the decision to deliberately sacrifice one's life in an attempt to save another. Such a sacrifice, willingly made, can create a lasting protection powerful enough to deflect even the otherwise unblockable Avada Kedavra curse, and which lingers in the blood of those protected indefinitely, rendering them untouchable by and uninhabitable for powers maimed and disfigured by inhumanity.

While the purely physical aspect of death is fully understood, the nature of what lies beyond it is a mystery to wizards, witches, and Muggles alike beyond the fact that there is indeed some sort of afterlife. When a wizard or witch dies, unlike a Muggle, he or she can choose to leave behind an imprint of their soul in the mortal world in the form of a ghost.[8][6] Few opt to become ghosts, however, as it means they will never "go on" like most people do.[8]

Limbo is an afterlife-related plane that exists in-between the physical world and the true afterlife; its contents are apparently subjective. Living people and the dead rarely spend time there. When Harry visits limbo, he is able to summon Albus Dumbledore to counsel and console him. But when Voldemort, his soul maimed and mutilated by "tampering so inadvisably" with such evil as Horcruxes and the Avada Kedavra curse

There is no known way to magically reunite a person's soul with their body once they have died.[9] Many young witches and wizards discovered this through the story of Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump (in which the protagonist Babbitty is blackmailed by a charlatan to perform magic for a king, but doesn't bother raising her wand when the king attempts to raise a dog from the dead.) During the six centuries have elapsed since Beedle wrote the tale, innumberable ways have been devised to maintain the illusion of the continuing presence of one's loved ones. For example, wizarding photographs and portraits move and (in the case of the latter) talk just like their subjects.

The Resurrection Stone has the power to bring back "shades" of loved ones

Similarly, the Mirror of Erised may also reveal more than a static image of a lost loved one. Ghosts are translucent, sentient images of wizards and witches who decided, for whatever reason, to remain on earth. The closest to resurrecting the dead would be the Resurrection Stone, which can recall someone who has died from the beyond, but they will return only in a semi-corporeal form, "less substantial" than a living body but "much more" than a ghost.[10]

However, while there exists no known method of reversing death once it has occurred, there are certain things a witch or wizard can do to postpone their death or prolong their life (even further than the longevity which would seem to be granted by magical ability e.g. Albus Dumbledore's health despite his advanced age).

The Elixir of Life, which is made from the Philosopher's Stone, will grant a person extended life for as long as they continue to consume it.[11][12] However, because the only known Philosopher's Stone in existence at the time was destroyed in 1992, this method is not currently available.[12]Unicorn blood can keep alive a person who is near death, but unicorns are such pure, defenceless creatures that a person who kills one and drinks its blood will have "but a half-life."[13] A wizard or witch who rips their soul through an act of murder can place that torn fragment inside of an external object called a Horcrux.[14]

By binding a part of their soul to the earth, the Horcrux prevents the wizard or witch from dying, even if their body is injured or completely destroyed.[14] However, there is a cost to using Horcruxes — as shown in the deterioration of Lord Voldemort's physical condition after repeatedly splitting his soul, as well as the mangled spectral state he has been trapped in during the destruction of his physical body. There is a potion which enables the Horcrux-creator's body to be reconstructed in the latter scenario. Overall, however, many wizards and witches would prefer death over such a pitiful state of existence. It seems if this potion is used, and the wizard is returned to a resurrected body, they seem to be unable to die until all of the Horcruxes are destroyed, as shown with Lord Voldemort during the final battle of Hogwarts, as only when all of his Horcruxes were destroyed was he killed. The creation of Horcruxes damages the soul that if the user dies after all their anchors are destroyed, then the soul would remain trapped in limbo in a terrible state, never to return as a ghost nor move on.

There is a chamber in the Department of Mysteries where witches and wizards study the mysteries of death.[8] In this chamber is the Veil, an ancient stone archway, which is a gateway between the world of the living and the world of the dead.[15] People standing around the Veil may hear voices from the other side depending on their level of faith in an afterlife.[15][16] A person whose body passes through the Veil will die.[15][17]

Although many fear death due to the unknown that lies beyond life, few would ever choose to manipulate and damage their own souls to remain behind in a pitiful existence. Horcruxes and remaining as ghosts are two known methods of immortalizing one's existence in the plane of living, but the former has dire consequences that few would ever want it, while the latter means entrapment for eternity that only those who fear or have deep bonds would choose it. Lord Voldemort considered death to be the ultimate humiliation of defeat, that nothing is worse than it, and was his greatest fear as a result; his fear of death and lack of understanding of the soul's well-being's importance led him to the extreme lengths of creating seven Horcruxes to evade death. Albus Dumbledore saw Voldemort's fear of death as his greatest weakness, as there are fates worse than death, and that anyone who can truly understand that and accept the inevitability of death can be considered to be a "Master of Death".

"Do you absolutely have a sense of how evil it is to take another person’s life? Yes, I think in my book you do. I think you do. I think you see that is a horrific thing. I have enormous respect for human life. I do not think that you would read… the deaths in [my books] and think, yeah, well, he’s gone, off we go. Not at all. I think it’s very clear where my sympathies lie. And here we are dealing with someone, I’m dealing with a villain who does hold human life incredibly cheap. That’s how it happens: one squeeze of the trigger. Gone. Forever. That’s evil. It’s a terrible, terrible thing..."